"Ouch!"
Still lying on the floor in a daze, Aldridge suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and couldn't help but cry out.
"Murder! That's murder!"
Popovich, who had seen the entire thing clearly from the sideline, stormed onto the court and roared furiously at the head referee.
His silver hair flew wildly as he shouted, making the old man look like an enraged lion.
On the other side, Steve Kerr stood frozen, his mouth agape as the playbook slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
What had he just witnessed? Wasn't this the kind of thing you only saw during the Bad Boys era? And now it had just happened—right before his eyes.
And the one who did it was his own starting player?!
The court descended into chaos. Furious Spurs players charged at Green, while the Warriors refused to back down, bunching together as tensions flared, seconds away from an all-out brawl.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"
The referees blew their whistles nonstop as staff rushed in to separate the two teams, desperate to keep the situation from spiraling further out of control.
Meanwhile, Green hid behind his teammates, his face showing not an ounce of fear.
Now that the adrenaline had faded, even he couldn't quite understand why he'd gone so far.
Maybe it was just pure anger—rage overpowering reason for a split second.
With the referees and staff intervening, both sides finally calmed down. Only then did everyone realize—poor Aldridge was still lying on the floor!
The team doctor ran over, quickly examined him, then looked up and shook his head helplessly at Popovich.
Seeing that gesture, Popovich felt his heart sink.
Aldridge was the team's second-leading scorer—if he was seriously injured, what would they do in the coming games? He didn't even want to imagine it.
Eventually, Aldridge was stretchered off and taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
After reviewing the replay for several minutes, the referees ruled Green's foul while fighting for the rebound as a Flagrant 2 and ejected him from the game.
Even though Green was tossed immediately, a dark shadow now hung over the Spurs.
Popovich's face was grim, his expression enough to kill.
The Spurs made both free throws, kept possession, and widened the gap—pulling off an underdog victory in Game 1.
But the cost was steep for both sides.
The Spurs might lose their second star, while the Warriors not only dropped the game but also risked Green facing disciplinary action from the league.
In the end, it was a lose-lose for everyone.
...
In Sacramento, inside Chen Yilun's high-end apartment, Chen Yilun and Malone each sat with a bucket of popcorn, glued to the game.
When Green delivered that brutal "war stomp," both men jumped off the couch at the same time.
"Draymond Green's lost his damn mind! How could he pull something like that?!"
Malone's popcorn spilled all over the floor, but he didn't even notice.
The old man just stared at the TV screen, still stunned.
For Chen Yilun, the feeling was less shock and more disbelief.
If he remembered correctly, wasn't this infamous Green moment supposed to happen years later—against Domantas Sabonis?
Why was it happening this early? And how did the victim change from Sabonis to Aldridge?
The two of them exchanged glances in front of the TV.
Whatever the case, it was good news for the Kings.
"Hope Aldridge is okay," Malone said nervously. "That stomp looked brutal."
"If he's really hurt, San Antonio's in trouble."
If Aldridge couldn't play, the Spurs would be cutting off one of their own arms.
Leonard alone wouldn't be enough to take down the Warriors.
Fortunately, the results weren't as bad as they feared.
After the examination, Aldridge was cleared of any major injury—but he'd have to sit out the next game.
Green, on the other hand, escaped without further punishment.
Under the playoff rules implemented in 2010, a player receives one point for a Flagrant 1 and two points for a Flagrant 2.
If a player reaches two points and commits another Flagrant 2, they are suspended for one game.
A player who reaches three points is suspended one game for the next Flagrant 1, or two games for a Flagrant 2.
Since Green had no prior flagrant fouls in the first round, he now had only two points—no suspension required.
"No point dwelling on it," Chen Yilun said, glancing at the popcorn scattered across the floor, his mouth twitching. "Clean that up before you go, yeah?"
"We'll just focus on our own thing and let them deal with their mess."
...
A day later, the Kings defended their home court again, pushing the series lead to 2–0.
In this game, an unleashed Kevin Durant dominated, teaming up with James Harden for a spectacular shootout.
After that, the Rockets' spirit was completely crushed.
Bickerstaff, sitting on the bench, seemed to realize his coaching days were numbered. He didn't even fight it.
In the end, the Kings swept the Rockets 4–0.
Meanwhile, the Spurs–Warriors series was a roller coaster.
After the "War Trample" incident, the Spurs clearly lost focus—Game 2 was sloppy, and the Warriors tied the series.
When the series returned to San Antonio, Aldridge's comeback helped the Spurs grind out a tough win.
But that would be their last victory.
The Warriors, back in rhythm, went on to eliminate the Spurs 4–2.
After Game 6 ended, Popovich walked over, expressionless, to shake Kerr's hand.
Facing his former mentor, Kerr managed an awkward smile.
"Sorry, Coach. See you next year."
"No need to apologize. That's just how the game works," Popovich said distractedly.
"Last year it was Yilun, this year it's you. I've been knocked out by my own students two years in a row."
He let out a soft sigh.
"George Karl told me the other day that after losing to Yilun's team, he's decided to retire. Before I knew it, all the old bones in this league are disappearing."
"The future's yours now."
As he spoke, the old man suddenly gripped Kerr's hand tightly.
"You're both outstanding—my best protégés. Keep pushing forward with everything you've got. The league's ready for a new era."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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